Burdwan, July 8 : The two-day International Seminar on “Narratives of Literature and National Consciousness in Colonial India: Celebrating 150 Years of Vande Mataram” concluded successfully on Wednesday at Maharajadhiraj Uday Chand Women’s College, Burdwan. Organised by the Department of History and the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of the college in collaboration with Hindi University, Howrah, and supported by the Eastern Regional Centre of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), the final day featured keynote lectures, international online presentations and technical sessions that highlighted the enduring relationship between literature and India’s national awakening.

The day began with a floral tribute to the portrait of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay by Principal Dr. Asrafi Khatun, IQAC Coordinator Dr. Indrani Paul, and distinguished resource persons.

The keynote address was delivered by Professor Nandini Sahu, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of Hindi University, West Bengal. She offered an insightful analysis of the literary, historical and cultural significance of Vande Mataram and explained how literature played a crucial role in shaping nationalist consciousness during the colonial period.

The seminar also featured three international online lectures. Professor Arvind Bissessur from Mauritius delivered an informative presentation on patriotic songs and their influence on the lives of the people of Mauritius. Dr. Pritha Kundu of HMM College for Women, Howrah, and Dr. Abhi Subedi of Tribhuvan University, Nepal, presented scholarly talks on literature, history, nationalism and South Asian cultural traditions, enriching the international character of the seminar.

The academic sessions continued with lectures by Dr. Shantanu Chakraborty of the University of Calcutta, Professor Bhaktipada Dolui of Christin College, and Dr. Debashis Mandal, followed by research paper presentations in different technical sessions. According to the organisers, more than eighty research papers were presented during the two-day event.

The concluding programme followed the successful inaugural session held on July 7, which was inaugurated by Professor Shankar Kumar Nath, Vice Chancellor of the University of Burdwan. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Principal Dr. Asrafi Khatun, noted historian Professor Prajit Kumar Palit, Professor Aparajita Dhar, Dr. Girjanand Singh Bissessur, Dr. Nisha Thakur, Dr. Hemanta Saha, and several eminent academicians and researchers from India and abroad.

Speaking to the media, Dr. Indrajeet Yadav, Convenor of the Seminar and faculty member of the Department of History, Maharajadhiraj Uday Chand Women’s College, said that the primary objective of the seminar was to create an international academic platform for meaningful discussions on literature, history and national consciousness in the context of the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. He noted that the deliberations over the two days opened new avenues for interdisciplinary research and strengthened academic collaboration among scholars from different countries.

During the valedictory session, Dr. Yadav expressed his sincere gratitude to Professor Shankar Kumar Nath, Vice Chancellor of the University of Burdwan, and Professor Nandini Sahu, Vice Chancellor of Hindi University, West Bengal, for gracing the seminar. He also thanked Principal Dr. Asrafi Khatun, IQAC Coordinator Dr. Indrani Paul, the faculty members of the Department of History, colleagues from other departments, non-teaching staff, volunteers and all participating scholars for their wholehearted support in making the international seminar a grand success.

He expressed confidence that the seminar would encourage further research on literature, history and national consciousness while strengthening academic cooperation among institutions in India and abroad.